Abstract
A new method of estimation of mechanical properties of erythrocytes is presented, based on the measurement of red cell susceptibility to centrifugal packing. Blood is spun in a microhematocrit centrifuge run at a voltage lowered to provide a rotation speed corresponding to 200 × g and apparent hematocrit is measured after 15-min centrifugation (Ha15). Then the centrifuge is run at a standard speed and the final hematocrit is read (Hk). The difference between these two values, denoted as Erythrocyte Packing Difference (EPD) is a measure of red cell susceptibility to centrifugal packing. EPD is independent of hematocrit in a broad range of hematocrit values. A survey of a population of 489 healthy donors points to a significant sex difference in EPD which amounted to 10% ± 2% for males and 8.5% ± 2.5% for females. A decreased EPD was found in diabetes. EPD changes under conditions affecting red cell deformability. This simple and easily standarizable method of estimation of mechanical properties of unmanipulated erythrocytes is recommended for routine use.
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